FIG. 4. BY WM ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,435,537 APPARATUS FOR DEODORIZING OR TREATING CLOTHES IN A CLOTHES DRIER. Joseph F. Rumsey, J12, 1708 W. Main St., Oklahoma City, Okla. 73106 Filed June 20, 1967, Ser. No. 647,475 Int. Cl. F26b 21/14 US. CI. 34-72 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A container on the inner surface of the door of a clothes drier and of a size to be received in the drier opening when the door is closed, vents in the surface of the container and means receiving a volatile deodorizing pellet or other chemical in the container in a manner whereby the hot air of the drier, circulated by the rotary action of the drier and tumbling clothes, vaporizes the pellet or chemical with the result that the vapor penetrates the clothes in the drier.

This invention relates to clothes driers of the type having a door and front opening, a clothes receiving basket which rotates about a horizontal axis and means supplying hot air to the interior of the drier. The invention has reference to a deodorizer in combination with a drier of the type referred to and has for its primary object the provision of an inexpensive construction for the described purpose.

Another object is to provide a deodorizing construction which does not have any moving parts, but instead utilizes currents of hot air employed in the drying of clothes.

A further object is to provide a deodorizer as referred to and which, in its preferred construction, melts and vaporizes a tablet, yet which construction, though vented, provides a receptacle for any resulting liquid.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a broken perspective view of the front of a front loader clothes drier with the door open and showing a preferred form of the invention mounted on the door.

FIGURE 2 is an exploded vertical sectional and side elevational view of a drier door and a container according to the invention.

FIGURE 3 is a broken vertical sectional view, similar to the right center portion of FIGURE 2, showing a modified form of the invention.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of a further modified and smaller form of the invention, and

FIGURE 5 is a front elevational view of a container such as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, but wherein the vent holes are circular rather than radial slots.

In FIGURES 2 and 3 the parts in section are cross hatched to indicate synthetic resin, for example, polysytrene, but it is understood that these same parts may be of other material, for example, metal. Reference has been made to volatile pellets for deodorizing, but other chemicals may be used such as moth balls for mothproofing, perfume and so on. Also, liquid chemicals may be used, but the referred to pellets are preferred.

In the drawing the numeral generally designates a clothes drier having a circular opening 11 in its front wall and a door 12 for closing the opening. Slidable or otherwise movable brackets 13 support the door 12 in a horizontal position when the door is open. Not shown, the drier 10 includes a perforated tumrbler or basket which rotates about a horizontal axis and means circulating hot air through the basket for drying the clothes. Details 3,435,537 Patented Apr. 1, 1969 of a typical door construction are shown in section in FIGURE 2 and wherein there are outside and inside sheet metal panels14 and 15 having an insulating filler 16 therebetween and a circular groove 17 in the inner panel 15 receiving a gasket 18 of a diameter to fit around the drier opening 11.

The form of the invention shown in FIGURES l and 2 includes a circular container 19 in the form of a shallow cone having a skirt 20 therearound. The periphery of the skirt 20 is secured to the inner panel 15 of the door 12 by any suitable means, for example, liquid or paste bonding material capable of serving the described purpose. As shown in FIGURES 4 and 5, laterally projecting tabs 21 may be provided around the skirt 20 for bonding the container 19 in place.

The center of the container 19 has a projecting tubular neck 22 and a perforated wall 23 therein for receiving and locating a deodorizing pellet 24, shown by dotted lines in FIGURE 4. A press fit perforated cap covers the end of the tubular neck 22.

By way of example and not as a limitation, a pellet such as 24 may be comprised of 12% sodium stearate, 28% deionized water, 21% triethanolamine, 16% glycerine, and 3% perfume. All ingredients except the perfume are mixed in a suitable container, heated to C. or until the sodium stearate is dissolved. The mixture is then cooled to 50 C. at which time the perfume is added, and after which the mixture is poured into molds. However, it is to be understood that the particular chemicals or mixtures used are not a part of the claimed invention. :In all forms of the invention there are vent holes in the container 19 and in all forms shown, except FIGURE 5, these are radial slots 26 which serve as vent holes, but in all cases the vent holes are arranged so that liquefied pellets or liquid chemicals will not drain from the container 19 before vaporizing.

The form of the invention shown in FIGURE 3 is similar to the construction of FIGURE 1, but instead of the projecting pellet receiving neck 22 there is a perforated cup 27 inwardly of the center of the container 19, and instead of the cap 25 there is a flanged perforated cylindrical closure 28 removably received in the rim of the cup.

The form of the invention shown in FIGURE 4 is of relatively small diameter and eliminates the use of caps or closures such as 25 or 28. Like the first described forms of the invention, it has the radially slotted vent holes 26. The pellets 24 are inserted in a slot 29 in the container 19 near the top thereof and fall to the bottom where there are no vent holes.

The form of the invention shown in FIGURE 5 is identical with the first described form of the invention, except that the vent holes 30 are round instead of slotted. As before, there are no vent holes near the bottom center of the container 19 so as to retain liquid until evaporated.

In view of the foregoing it is believed that the operation will be apparent. However, it is pointed out that in the forms of the invention illustrated in FIGURES l, 2, 3 and 5 the circulation of hot air passes through the cap 25 or closure 28, over the pellet 24 and out through the vent holes 26 or 30. In the form of the invention illustrated in FIGURE 4, the hot air passes in and out through the vent holes 26. In any case, according to the invention, the vapor penetrates the clothes being dried.

The invention is not limited to the exemplary constructions herein shown and described, but may be made in various ways within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for deodorizing or treating clothes in a clothes drier having a front loading door and wherein hot air circulates within the drier, said apparatus being comprised of a container secured to the inner surface of said door and of a size to be received in the drier when the door is closed, vent holes in the outer surface of said container, means supporting and exposing a volatile chemical in said apparatus and wherein said means supporting and exposing a volatile chemical in said apparatus is comprised of a neck in the outer center of said container, a transverse perforated wall in said neck, and a perforated cap over the outer end of said neck.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, and wherein said means supporting and exposing a volatile chemical in said apparatus is comprised of a perforated cup in the outer surface of said container and a removable perforated closure in the rim of said cup.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, and wherein said means supporting and exposing a volatile chemical in said 4 apparatus is the interior bottom portion of said container, and including a chemical receiving slot in said container above said bottom portion.